Social Impacts Of The Kosovar Refugee Crisis In Albania

This social assessment (SA) examines the effects on Albania of the 1999 Kosovar refugee crisis, when nearly half a million Kosovars fled across the border to escape Serbian ethnic cleansing. Albania's remarkable response to this short but intense human emergency not only was critical to helping the refugees, but helped transform civil society in Albania, and foster longer-term links between the Albanians and the Kosovars. The study finds that activities on behalf of refugees carried out by local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), religious organizations, community groups, women's groups, youth groups, and families helped generate the kinds of social cohesion and local capacity in Albania that are considered preconditions for successful development-preconditions that, before the crisis, donors had considered largely absent. The quantitative portion of the social assessment consisted of a survey of 500 Kosovar families living with Albanian families, with respondents equally divided between male and female. The qualitative portion consisted of interviews with hosts, NGO representatives, public administrators, and Albanian and Kosovar leaders, and focus groups with Kosovar women and girls. The Kosovo refugee crisis had important local, national, and regional outcomes that have implications for Bank support. But while the potential for regional change will only become fully apparent over the next few years, the impacts of the crisis at the local level, as identified in this social assessment, are already clear. First and foremost was the promotion of social cohesion at the local level, which has the potential to further development and democratization, and to be a significant factor in political stabilization efforts in the country. Thus it is of paramount importance that any future international assistance support and strengthen this aspect. Overall, a better understanding of the refugee crisis should allow the Bank to more effectively assess some structural constraints to Albania development.